1. Field of the Invention
The invention concerns a lamp device on a high-speed production machine for the manufacture of products of the tobacco-processing industry, wherein there is provided a system of lamps which are arranged stationarily on the machine in the region of machine components, in order to observe machine components each operated according to a machine control cycle and/or passing products. The invention also relates to a specially adapted lamp.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A known device for monitoring the adjustment of individual machine components on production machines for manufacturing articles of the tobacco-processing industry has stroboscope lamps which are permanently installed at selected locations of the production machine (DE-A-1 100 24 284). The stroboscope lamps are controllable in time with the machine by electronic trigger control means. In practice, however, instead of permanently installed stroboscope lamps, transportable stroboscope flash lamps to be held by hand are used. Such a lamp is used only when faults arise, requiring the observation of a virtually still image of the process while the machine is running. Reasons for this are manifold. One particular requirement is machine lighting with particularly bright continuous light, in order on the one hand to observe the operation of machine components through transparent protective covers. On the other hand, continuous illumination is to be ensured with maximum light intensity for cleaning, maintenance and troubleshooting. For these purposes, fluorescent lamps which are permanently installed on machine components are used. Of course, uniform illumination with continuous light is achieved, but the lamps take up considerable assembly space. For structural reasons, in practice it is not possible to provide stroboscope lamps in addition to the lamps with continuous light. It is precisely in locations where illumination with stroboscope light is wanted that there are considerable problems regarding assembly, light quality, direction of radiation and assembly space. Added to this is the fact that the additional installation of a plurality of stroboscope lamps is uneconomical. One must therefore be content with the transportable manual stroboscope lamp to find an illuminating position which seems suitable for observing a defective process while the protective cover is removed by holding the flash lamp manually and changing its position experimentally. Apart from the fact that this handling while the protective covers are open on a machine which is running means considerable risk, which is tolerated, it is moreover tedious and cannot readily be reproduced. Conventional gas-discharge flash lamps are used because their illumination is inherently relatively high. Insofar, even an excessively high light intensity is applied in order to obtain acceptable light conditions also with a reduced production cycle with which the light intensity of a clock-controlled gas-discharge flash lamp automatically drops back. The high-speed production machines referred to have special characteristics which make special demands on light technology to be specifically adapted. Movement cycles are particularly sensitive and fast. Machine components must, without breakdown, master production speeds which are around 200 to 400 steps/s. For the articles to be made, as well as for products or components thereof, a plurality of components must cooperate precisely at maximum speed in order to perform operations of conveying, transfer and processing at numerous positions of a production line. Accordingly, the components are designed differently for intermittent movements, in particular in the form of conveying drums, rotating cutting members, sliding, aligning, rolling and turning means, rotating adhesive and printing members as well as drive members. In particular for high-output operation, the adjustment and cooperation of all the aforementioned elements are extremely important for obtaining unhindered production flow and a perfect result of production. In addition to illumination with continuous light, the production of still images of the very rapidly proceeding operations within all speed ranges is of substantial significance. With high-speed operation are associated special acceleration and braking stages which are also to be detected. Here, not only is the lighting technology to meet requirements of operation and condition monitoring as well as maintenance, but also characteristic fault patterns are to be detectable, and operational adjustments by detecting and varying characteristic production stages are to be feasible. The known lamp devices for the aforementioned special machines of the tobacco-processing industry do not meet the sum of the aforementioned requirements.